The rise of digital video

All indicators are that digital video is the rising star of advertising formats and that mobile will play a big part in that. All the statistics support rapid growth over the next few years. According the Business Insider, video ads have an average click through rate of 1.84%, higher than any other digital format. Cisco reports that on line users are expected to double to 1.5 billion in 2016, and that on line video traffic will account for 55% of all consumer internet traffic. I was curious to find out where video was viewed the most, expecting it to be the United States, but it was actually South Korea, according to eMarketer!

One reason digital video is so popular is that it encompasses the art of storytelling, a key component in any effective PR campaign. Stories engage, influence, and motivate action. As an example, eMarketer reports that over 50% of electronics buyers depend on YouTube videos for information before buying. Another significant advantage of digital video is that it can take advantage of one of the few strategies today that successfully lets advertisers avoid the dreaded ad blocker, and that is branded content. Branded content is more than advertising, it is customer focused content that educates, informs, and/or entertains. It’s not just about your products and services, although there should be some relationship; it is about what is important to your audience. For that reason, it is very important to accurately and narrowly define your target market when using branded content. It’s a strategy to counteract the sensory overload that most consumers feel when they activate the ad blockers. Good content is even more important today to get the attention of sophisticated consumes. Branded content and digital video….. it’s a match made in heaven.